Semiconductor magnetron modulator

Claim 1

IN A SYSTEM FOR PROVIDING SHORT PULSES OF DIRECT CURRENT, AN ELECTRONIC SWITCH COMPRISING A TRANSMISSION PATH HAVING AN OPEN AND A CLOSED CONDITION, SAID PATH INCLUDING A PLURALITY OF PNPN SEMICONDUCTOR TRIODES POLED IN THE SAME DIRECTION AND WITH THEIR TERMINAL REGIONS IN SERIAL CONNECTION, FIRST MEANS FOR APPLYING A VOLTAGE ACROSS SAID SERIES OF TRIODES WHICH IS LESS THAN THE CHARACTERISTIC BREAKDOWN VOLTAGE OF SAID TRIODES INCLUDING MEANS FOR EQUALIZING THE VOLTAGE APPLIED ACROSS EACH TRIODE, SAID MEANS COMPRISING ASYMMETRICALLY CONDUCTING DEVICES OF HE VOLTAGE REGULATING TYPE, SAID DEVICES HAVING A CHARACTERISTIC BREAKOVER VOLTAGE WHICH IS LESS THAN THE APPLIED VOLTAGE OF SAID FIRST MEANS, SEPARATE SECOND MEANS FOR APPLYING A TRIGGER PULSE TO TEH GATE CONNECTION OF THE TRIODE AT THE LOWER POTENTIAL END OF SAID SERIES THEREBY TO SWITCH SAID TRIODE FROM THE HIGH IMPEDDANCE TO THE LOW IMPEDANCE CONDITION, AND THIRD MEANS ACTIVATED BY THE SWITCHING OF SAID END TRIODE FOR TRIGGERING THE REMAINING TRIODES SIMULTANEOUSLY FROM THE HIGH IMPEDANCE TO THE LOW IMPEDANCE CONDITION THEREBY TO PLACE SAID TRANSMISSION PATH IN THE CLOSED CONDITION, SAID THIRD MEANS COMPRISING A CAPACITANCE ELEMENT IN CIRCUIT WITH THE GATE CONNECTION OF EACH OF SAID REMAINING TRIODES, AND CIRCUIT MEANS ENABLING CHARGING OF SAID CAPACITANCE ELEMENTS WHEN SAID TRIODES ARE IN THE HIGH IMPEDANCE CONDITION.